1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to barbecue grills and in particular to such grills having rotatable rods or rollers driven by a motor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art which the applicants believe to be the closest with respect to the subject matter of the present invention is set forth below in Table I.
TABLE I ______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor Date of Issue ______________________________________ 2,185,979 Dumas 1940 2,453,385 Rone 1948 2,604,842 Dolce 1952 3,331,307 Hoffert 1967 3,331,308 Hoffert 1967 3,472,156 Bardeau et al 1969 3,854,392 Eason 1974 3,997,761 Gebien 1976 4,005,646 Kruper 1977 4,011,804 Crockett, Sr. 1977 ______________________________________
The relevance of these references is set forth below.
Referring to Table I, the '979 patent discloses a roasting device comprising rotable rolls 14 between which sausage-like food items may be placed. These rolls are driven by a worm gear mechanism unlike the mechanism of the present invention.
The '385 patent discloses a hamburger grill embodying a movable support on which the hamburgers or other meat items being grilled are supported and moved past the burner supplying heat to grill the food items. However, this support comprises a tray having arms 17 resting on links of two endless chains 7 driven by a motor-driven belt 13. Thus, this reference does not set forth rotating rods as disclosed in the present invention for moving hamburgers or other flat food items across the grilling area.
The '842 patent discloses a sausage grill having rods 26 driven by an endless belt 50. The plate 66 shown in FIG. 1 thereof is not for receipt of food items, as is the hot plate disclosed in the present invention, but is merely a hinge retaining plate for covering rods 26 when the unit is being moved. Furthermore, side angle irons 12 and 14 are mounted at each end of the rods 26 so as to provide a barrier for the food items, totally unlike the hot plate disclosed in the present invention.
The '307 and '308 patents both disclose a rotisserie having rollers for supporting sausages and other similar food items. These rollers are driven by gears 47 which in turn are driven by a motor. Every other gear engages a roller 19 so that these rollers turn in the same direction. These references also disclose the removal of one or more rollers or the substitution of skewers which may also be turned by the device. The gear driving arrangement of these references is totally unlike the driving mechanism of the present invention.
The '156 patent discloses a grilling or broiling apparatus wherein rolls 13 are rotated and inclined to be horizontal so that frankfurters or other cylindrical type food items placed on the uppermost portion of channel 62 formed between these rolls will move to the lowermost portion of the channel. In this way, the time that the frankfurter is exposed to the heat can be regulated thereby insuring automatic-type cooking. The rolls are driven by spur gear 35 cooperating with worm gear 36 unlike the mechanism for driving the rollers of the present invention.
The '392 patent discloses a wiener cooking attachment unit for rotisseries incorporating a number of rollers 13 each having a roller sprocket 34 driven by a serrated belt 32. This drive mechanism for the rollers is again unlike that disclosed in the present invention.
The '761 patent discloses a self-cleaning grill comprising a serpentine steel tubing for supporting food over a cooking fire and through which an electric current can be passed to burn food residues from the tubing. This reference does not disclose rotating tubing for turning food items nor the use of a hot plate associated with rollers for receipt of food items.
The '646 patent merely discloses a rotatable grill for demountably retaining food objects comprising two basket halves of similar size pivoted together so as to form a closed basket at their longitudinal sides. This device therefore does not disclose a grill with rotatable rollers nor a hot plate associated with these rollers.
Finally, the '804 patent discloses a grill tender for intermittently turning a horizontal grill of a standard tub-type charcoal brazier or broiler equipped with an elevated motor-driven skewer, spit or rotisserie bar elevated above the grill member. The device turns the grill 28 by means of a tine 54 interconnected to the rotary spit or bar 26. This device does not disclose rotating bars, rods or rollers nor does it disclose an associated hot plate. It also does not disclose the drive mechanism of the present invention for turning rods or rollers of a grill.
Consequently, applicants submit that of the prior art known to them, none of it taken alone or in combination with other known prior art, discloses or suggests the rotating barbecue grill set forth in the Disclosure, Drawings and Claims of this patent.